What are the best food sources?

If you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, then you are probably consuming enough potassium. Particularly good sources of potassium include bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, pumpkin, spinach, raisins and root vegetables. Generally, more-processed foods have less potassium.

What happens if you don’t get enough?

Abnormally low potassium levels in the body (hypokalemia) do not usually occur from low dietary intakes of potassium. Hypokalemia is most often the result of too much potassium lost from the body, such as in persistent cases of diarrhea or vomiting or due to laxative abuse. The symptoms of this condition include muscle weakness, abnormal heart rhythms and abnormal glucose responses.

According to researchers, moderate potassium deficiency—that which occurs prior to hypokalemia—can cause increases in blood pressure and bone loss and put someone at risk for calcium-containing kidney stones. Unfortunately, moderate potassium deficiency is often silent because its symptoms (such as increased blood pressure and bone turnover) do not initially provide obvious outward signs. So, eat your fruits and veggies!

What happens if you get too much?

High potassium intakes from food have not been shown to cause adverse effects in healthy individuals. However, high doses of potassium from supplements can be toxic. Toxic doses of potassium supplements can cause a range of symptoms from gastrointestinal distress and abnormally high blood levels of potassium to heart irregularities. Bottom line: Stay within range of the recommended intakes.

How much do you need?

The following table lists the recommended intake for healthy people based on current scientific information.

Life Stage Group

Age Range

Recommended Dietary Allowance/Adequate Intake

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

Infants

0-6 mo.

0.4* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Infants

7-12 mo.

0.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Children

1-3 yr.

3* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Children

4-8 yr.

3.8* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Males

9-13 yr.

4.5* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Males

14-18 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Males

19-30 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Males

31-50 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Males

51-70 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Males

> 70 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Females

9-13 yr.

4.5* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Females

14-18 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Females

19-30 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Females

31-50 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Females

51-70 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Females

> 70 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Pregnancy

< 18 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Pregnancy

19-30 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Pregnancy

31-50 yr.

4.7* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Lactation

< 18 yr.

5.1* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Lactation

19-30 yr.

5.1* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Lactation

31-50 yr.

5.1* grams/day

Not determinable due to lack of data on adverse effects and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

NOTE: The table is adapted from the Dietary Reference Intakes reports. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), when available, are in bold type; Adequate Intakes (AIs) are followed by an asterisk(*). RDAs and AIs may both be used as goals for individual intake. RDAs are set to meet the needs of almost all individuals (97 to 98 percent) in a group. For healthy breastfed infants, the AI is the mean intake. The AI for other life stage and gender groups is believed to cover the needs of all individuals in the group, but lack of data means the percentage of individuals covered by this intake cannot be specified with confidence.
Values in parentheses, marked with a double asterisk (**) represent the RDA/AI in micrograms.
UL = The maximum level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse effects. Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water and supplements.